John D'Alton

John Francis Cardinal D'Alton (11 October 1882 – 1 February 1963) was an Irish Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Armagh and thus Primate of All Ireland from 1946 until his death. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 1953. Early life and education John D'Alton was born in Claremorris to Joseph D'Alton (d. 1 April 1883) and his wife Mary Brennan, at the height of the Land Wars in Ireland. He was baptised four days later, on 15 October 1882, with Michael and Mary Brennan acting as his godparents. D'Alton's mother had a daughter, Mollie Brennan, from a previous marriage; she remarried again after the Cardinal's father died in 1883. He obtained an extensive education at Blackrock College, Holy Cross College in Clonliffe, the University College Dublin, Irish College in Rome. He was a contemporary of Éamon de Valera, whom he befriended at Blackrock College. In his first year in Blackrock, de Valera beat D'Alton in two subjects – Maths, which he would later go on to teach, and Religion. Priestly Ministry D'Alton was ordained to the priesthood on 18 April 1908 for service in the Archdiocese of Dublin. He undertook further postgraduate studies in Rome from 1908 to 1910, gaining a Doctorate of Divinity and was appointed to teach Ancient Classics, Latin, and Greek at St. Patrick's College in Maynooth.